[KevinDavis]

Here is what killed human space exploration here in America.

Richard Nixon
The Democrats in Congress
Jimmy Carter
Cowards
Carl Sagan

Need I say more? To me it is Anti-American to give up and let the Chinese take the top spot!

[RightWhale]

Good list, which is to say, my list has many of the same names on it. But I would expand the Democrats in Congress to include Republicans in Congress. Everybody is at fault.

Blame Arthur C. Clarke for publically turning his back on outer space; not good for a supposed leader to reverse course during his own lifetime without apparent cause.

I have always believed spaceflight, living in space, was inevitable. Even at age 6, 10 years before Sputnik, I was designing orbital colonies and rockets. Clarke can reverse course, he's just another utopist. All of them become anti-utopists eventually. I can't change course, I was born for this.